WATCHUNG – Everyone seems to agree that the Watchung branch of the Somerset County Library system is in an inadequate building that no longer meets the library's mission or needs. Borough Councilman Thomas Franklin said that this is the most important issue facing Watchung.

During its meeting at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, the council will begin considering what should be done, from renovating the current space to building to a new space to merging with the Warren library, which is 2.4 miles away.

The Watchung library is housed in the former Pratt residence, which was built in 1951, according to Sharon Orlando, one of the librarians. Today, the building has space and safety concerns that include the fact it does not comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) — it needs wheelchair ramps, an elevator and wider doors — and its wiring cannot handle all of the computers that the library wants to use. Additionally, the library is full.

"If we get a new book, it means we have to discard an old one," Orlando said.

Exploring options

Franklin, who heads Watchung's Ad Hoc Library Committee, said his committee has considered many alternatives, all of which will be presented at the council meeting.

"Some new factors that have come to light recently have to be considered, so I do not expect we will be making a recommendation at the meeting," Franklin said Wednesday.

To put this issue in context, Franklin said that although the Watchung is a small town of about 6,000 people and its library building is small, it has the highest circulation per square foot in Somerset County. Orlando said the library had about 46,000 visits last year and circulated about 90,000 materials. Franklin said a low percentage of those 46,000 visits were from people from other towns who like to use the Watchung library because it's small.

"Anyone with a Somerset County Library card can use it," he said.

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Karen Fine stands near a fireplace at the Watchung branch of the Somerset County Library in 2008, showing the original residental nature of the building.
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Options the committee has considered include:

• Building a new library;

• Taking over an existing building;

• Knocking down most of the existing library and constructing a new, expanded building on the present site;

• Merging the Watchung library with the Warren library, which is also part of the county system.

Franklin said there are two proposals to build a new library. One would be to build a sprawling one-story building, while another would be to build a multistory building on a smaller footprint. Both options will be presented at the meeting.

For the second option, the most likely building that might be taken over and renovated, he said, would be the old Valley Furniture building on the Watchung Circle, but that building is in a flood plain.

The idea of demolishing much of the existing building and replacing it with a more modern, expanded structure was rejected in a 2011 referendum.

"That was during Hurricane Sandy," Franklin said. "It lost by 130 votes out of 1,000 or 1,100 votes. That option will be on the table at Thursday night's meeting, but I don't think it will get strong consideration because it was defeated. Even though it was under extraordinary circumstances. Even because a lot of people were out of town, staying with friends after the storm."

Diana Churchill, a member of the Friends of the Watchung Library, argued that the referendum vote doesn't reliably reflect the population's sentiments. She said that many of the people of Watchung who voted in that election voted in other towns, where they were allowed to vote at the national and state level, but not at the local level. She estimates 1,000 people who voted did not vote on the library issue.

The final option would be to close the Watchung branch of the county library and for Watchung to support the Warren branch.

"Warren's a much bigger town, and they have a bigger facility," Franklin said. "We have discussed the possibility with Warren officials. They know what would be involved. We have talked about what Watchung might contribute. We wouldn't roll out that option without talking to them first."

Although the verb "merge" is often used to discribe this option, Churchill insists it's a "closure," not a "merger." She said that if the Watchung branch closes and Watchung votes to withdraw from the county system, individuals and families could then pay to use libraries in neighboring towns such as Warren or Berkeley Heights. She says that would cost individuals $195 per year, and that would be the much more than the $60 to $75 per household per year it would cost if Watchung floats a $3 million bond for 40 years to raise money for a new library building.

"Plus, with a new building, we'd also get a new community center with the library, something we don't have now," she said. "After superstorm Sandy, the Long Hill Township Library and the Warren Library had warming stations and recharging stations. But here, we had none of that. So everybody left town. Not to mention having a place for activities. A community center would be a wonderful thing."

Citizen input

Franklin said he is eager to see as many Watchung citizens as possible come to the Borough Council meeting to hear the alternatives and share their views. He even looks forward to the arguments that will ensue. He does not expect a decision to be made at this meeting because the debate is expected to carry over to future meetings. Perhaps a decision can be made in about a month, he said.

He said there has not been a movement in town to preserve the existing library building for historical reasons.

"The building has a lot of needs," Franklin said. "It's not ADA-compliant, it needs elevators, wider doorways. ... The building codes in those days were laxer than they are now. If we rip into it and preserve part of it, then we have to bring all of it up to date to comply with code. And when you tear into it, you don't know what you'll find."

Franklin added that this is an issue that affects everyone in town.

"This is not a Municipal Building for administrators," he said. "It's a resource for every citizen of Watchung. It's a very important decision, so I encourage everyone to come."